3-alkenyl ethers of 17alpha-hydrocarbonyl-17beta-estradiols



United States PatentOfiice 3,077,436 Patented Feb. 12, 1963 3-ALKENYL ETHERS OF 17oc-HYDROCARBONYL- 17fi-ESTRADIOLS Max N. Huffman, Colorado Springs, Colo., assignor to Lasdon Foundation, Inc., Yonkers, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware No Drawing. Filed Mar. 16, 1962, Ser. No. 180,359

5 Claims. (Cl. 260-3975) This invention relates to novel steroid ethers and more particularly to 3-alkenyl ethers of 17B-estr-adiol compounds containing a lower aliphatic hydrocarbon substituent in the 170t-pOSltlOIl, and to methods of produc ing such steroids. More particularly, the invention pertains to compounds having the following general formula:

wherein R represents a lower alkenyl radical containing 2 to 5 carbon atoms and X represents a lower aliphatic hydrocarbon radical containing 1 to 5 carbon atoms.

In the compounds of the general structural formula set forth above, R represents lower alkenyl radicals such as crotyl, allyl, methallyl, and Z-pentenyl, while the substituent X represents lower aliphatic hydrocarbon radicals, such as methyl, ethyl, propyl, n-butyl, isobutyl, namyl and isoamyl, as well as unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbon radicals, such as vinyl, ethynyl, allyl, methallyl, S-butenyl and Z-pentenyl.

The compounds of this invention are useful in the prevention and suppression of schizophrenic behavior induced in mammals by lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). The peculiar psychic action of LSD was discovered by A. Hofmann and W. A. Stoll (Schweizer Achiv fur Neurolgie and Psychiatric, volume 60, page 279, 1947). Stoll showed that LSD produced an intoxication of the acute exogenous reaction type (as classified in psychic disease) in human beings when administered by mouth at the astonishingly small dose of 20 to. 30 micrograms.

G. Condrau demonstrated that schizophrenic subjects are much more resistant to the action of LSD than normal persons, and that the tolerance to LSD seemed as a rule better in psychopaths than in healthy individuals (Acta Psychiatrica et Neurologica Scandinavica, volume 24, page 9, 1949). Condrau raised the question whether psychoses might not have their etiology in the endogenous production of substances similar to LSD. Other investigators believe that LSD intoxication is an especially suitable psychosis model of schizophrenia (R. Fisher, F. Georgi, and R. Weber, Schweizcrischc Medizinische Wochenschrift, volume 81, page 817, 1951).

D. W. Woolley has demonstrated that LSD also produces abnormal behavior in mice (Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, volume 41, page 338, 1955). This was also demonstrated for rats by C. A. Winter and L. Flataker, who designed a bioassay for quantitation of antagonistic effects of drugs on the psychic action produced by LSD in rats (Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine, volume 92, page 285, 1956). Using this bioassay, J. R. Bergen, D. Krus and G. Pincus demonstrated that certain steroid hormones and metabolites had biological activity in suppressing LSD-induced behavior changes in rats. Estradiol- 175, however, was not effective (Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine, volume 105, page 254, 1960).

17a-methy1-17B-estradiol-3-allyl ether also is effective in suppressing the secretion of growth hormones by the pituitary gland.

It is an object of this invention to provide new and useful steroids which antagonize or suppress the induction of psychotic conditions by LSD in mammals. It is a further object to provide methods for producing such compounds by economical and efficient methods from readily available starting materials. It is a further object to produce novel estradiol compounds having useful physiological properties. These and other objects are apparent from and are achieved in accordance with the following disclosure.

The compounds of this invention are produced from alkenyl ethers of estrone by reaction with a suitable Grignard reagent or other organometallic compound of the formula XMg-halogen (wherein X has the meaning given above) in an inert solvent such as an aliphatic ether, dioxane, tetrahydrofuran, or an aliphatic hydrocarbon. By this reaction, a hydrocarbon substituent is introduced in the t-pOSltlOI'l and a hydroxyl group is formed in the Up-position. This procedure is conducted at low temperatures (IS-400 C.) and an excess of the organometallic compound is used to insure a substantially complete reaction of the 17-keto group with the organometallic substance. The steroid compound is isolated by dccomposing the reaction mixture with aqueous acid or saturated ammonium chloride solution and isolating the steroid from the organic phase, as by extraction and evaporation.

The compounds of this invention, while having desirable physiological properties of suppressing the undesired effects of LSD, are relatively inactive as estrogens, so that they do not produce the undesired estrogenic activity of estradiol and its derivatives. Thus, these compounds differ from the estradiol compounds not only in the absence of estrogenic hormone effects but in their ability to suppress psychotic LSD effect, whereas estradiol is ineffective in this connection.

The estrone alkenyl ethers which are used as starting materials in the synthesis of the novel steroids of this application are produced from estronc by reaction with an alkenyl halide in the presence of an alkali which binds the elements of hydrohalic acid formed in the reaction. Typical is the reaction of estrone with allyl bromide to produce estrone allyl ether. The general synthesis is described by K. Miescher and C. Scholz, Helvetica Chimica Acta, volume 20, pp. 1237-1244 (1937).

The invention is disclosed in further detail by means of the following examples, which are provided for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the invention in spirit or in scope. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that numerous modifications in operating conditions and reagents can be made Within the scope of this disclosure without departing from the invention.

amuse fig 6.

EXAMPLE 1 A solution of allylmagnesiurn bromide is prepared from V 12.6 grams of magnesium and 60.5 grams of allyl bromide I7a-Methyl-J7/3-Est,adzol3-Allyl Ether in 1080 ml. of anhydrous ether. To it is added, dropwise with stirring at a temperature not greater than 2 C., 6

R grams of estrone allyl ether in 450 ml. of anhydrous ether over 2 hours. The reaction mixture is stirred at 02 C.

for 2 hours and left at 22 C. for 16 hours. It is decomposed by addition to 1 liter of saturated ammonium chlofi ride solution. The ether phase is separated, Washed with Water, dried and evaporated. The residue of 17a-allyl-17flestradiol-S-allyl-ether is crystallized from a mixture of OH2=OHCH20 acetone, hexane and methanol and from methanol-hexane To a solution of 1 gram of estrone allyl ether in 100 and melts at 65 ml. of anhydrous ether is added dropwise over 10 minutes EXAMPLE 3 50 ml. of 3 M methylmagnesium bromide solution in ether. 551mm anyl ether is Produced as follows; 100 Of The mixture i refluxed f an h th decomposed sodium was dissolved in 5 ml. of absolute ethanol. Then with 400 ml. of ice water containing 20 m1. of concenof 6590118 Was dissolved 1H the Solution, followed y trated hydrochloric acid and portioned with 500 1 of 0.5 ml. of allyl bromide. The reaction mixture was heated ether. The ether phase is washed with Water, dried and 20 t0 hams, than evapmated to dryness evaporated, The e id f 17 -methy1-l7p-e fradiol3- in vacuum. The residue was dissolved in 50 ml. of ether allyl ether is recrystallized from aqueous methanol and and 50 1111- Of Water and the Ethel Phase Washed with 5% from a mixture of ethyl t te d h t It h a hydrochloric acid, 5% NaOH solution and with water. melting point of 110.5-111 C. The ether phase was dried and evaporated and the residue in a procedure similar to that given above, but using 25 0f estrone allyl ether was recrystallized from aqueous estrone crotyl ether in lieu of estrone allyl ether, there ethanol; 103-109? is produced 17a-rnethyl-17 8-estradiol-3-croty1 ether, which y analogous procedures the crotyl, methallyl. and has the formula pentenyl others of estrone are produced from crotyl bro- CH mide, methallyl bromide and l-bromo-Z-pentene, respec- SH 3 tiveiy. I 1 claim:

1. A steroid of the formula CH3 or! X CH3OE=CHOHBO I Similarly, using isoamylmagnesium bromide instead of methylmagnesium bromide, there is produced 17x-isoamyl- 40 I l7fi-estradiol-3-allyl ether, of the formula S 011 wherein R is a lower alkenyl radical and X is a lower 351 5 aliphatic hydrocarbon radical, both radicals containing H H not more than 5 carbon atoms.

CH3 2. A steroid as defined by claim 1 wherein X is a lower alkenyl radical.

/ 3. A steroid as defined by claim 1 wherein X is a lower alkyl radical. CHFGHCHZO 4. 17a-methyll7fl-estradiol-3-allyl ether.

5. 17oc-al1yl-17fi-estrad-iol-3-allyl ether.

1 E 2 References Cited in the file of this patent 1706-1;llyl-J7,6-14SfradI0l-3-v4llyl Ether 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS S 2,243,887 Serini et a1 June 3, 1941 MESH, 2,843,608 Colton July 15, 1958 j 2 2,864,830 Agnello et al Dec. 16, 1958 

1. A STEROID OF THE FORMULA 